1. Field of Invention
The present device relates generally to the interconnection of components for the transmission of electromagnetic energy. More specifically, the device relates to a transition for interconnecting a microstrip and a waveguide.
2. Background Information
A microstrip-waveguide transition is an apparatus for the transmission of electromagnetic energy between a microstrip transmission line and a waveguide. Present microstrip-waveguide transitions can take several forms. For example, the microstrip can be inserted perpendicularly into an opening within a wall of the waveguide, the microstrip can be inserted collinearly into the open end of the waveguide, or the waveguide can be mounted perpendicularly to the microstrip ground plane.
These basic forms are suitable for most applications of a transition. However, there remain applications where the basic forms are not used due to space constraints and performance requirements. For example, in a phased array having multiple waveguide ports, the available space limits the dimensions of the microstrip-waveguide transition. In addition, some applications require a hermetic seal between the microstrip and the waveguide. For larger millimeter wave phased array systems (e.g., those having thousands of waveguide ports), the labor cost can become impractical. Even with modern automated assembly equipment, the construction time is affected by need for alignment in the interconnect systems used today.